Naruto Yomi
by kylefighter1
Summary: On the night of the Uchiha Massacre, Itachi finds a starving Naruto and makes a decision that will alter the future of the elemental nations in ways that none could imagine. Eventual Dark Powerful Naruto
1. Prologue

**Naruto: Yomi **

**Prologue**

Disclaimer: Naruto is owned by Yasashi Kishimoto

Standing solemnly among his fallen kin, one of the last Uchiha wondered how this slaughter it came to be. Only a few months ago he had been serving his village no differently than his peers amongst ANBU and fellow Jounin, protecting his village through surveillance and the occasional clandestine operation that was never made public knowledge to the masses.

Despite his youth Itachi was one of the most respected Jounin in Konoha, something his clan took great pride in. Few knew Itachi's true thoughts on this matter though, while he took some pride in his abilities as a Shinobi he regretted the sacrifices that had been made to progress as far as he had. He'd deprived himself of a childhood, friends and a social life all for the sake of Konoha. All that remained were two simple yet profound things in his short fifteen years of life thus far. His clan and village, they were all that mattered in the end.

At least they had been before this night as he stared down at the motionless bodies of his parents. Their lifeless dark eyes stared right back, damning him for the genocide he had committed against their family. A trail of long dry tears ran from his eyes to his chin and no more followed. The subtle heaves of his shoulders spoke a thousand words of the grief his training and experience barely kept suppressed.

"I'm sorry Kaa-san, Tou-san," he tightened his grip on his ninjato, loathing how comfortable the bloodstained weapon felt in his grip.

Yet again he'd been forced to sacrifice for the sake of Konoha, all for the sake of the village. The night was not yet over though, and there were still more sacrifices to make. His mission was clear, eradicate the Uchiha Clan and there was still Sasuke to deal with. His own little brother who was innocent in this entire ordeal, but his orders were clear. They must all die.

Shivering violently, Itachi turned from his parents and heard the telltale patter of feet that indicated Sasuke had returned. Judging from the erratic footsteps he had seen the bodies littering the streets of the family compound. He had made no effort to hide his handiwork knowing that his fellow Anbu were stationed to keep all residents well away from the district.

Taking a shaky breathe he stepped into the shadows, anxiously waiting for his brother to step in the room and see their parents bloodied bodies on the floor. He didn't need to wait long as Sasuke threw the sliding door open seconds later, gaping in horror at the sight of his parents. Watching silently as his little brother rushed forwards, crying for his parents to get up.

Fresh tears grew in the corners of his eyes and his grip tightened on the ninjato in his hands as he readied himself for what was to come. Could he go through with it? To kill his own brother?

Emerging from the shadows silently like a wraith, he stood behind his brother knowing that it would be mere seconds before Sasuke sensed him. Any who might have come across this scene would believe Itachi a cold killer, unaware of the turmoil that seethed below the surface. In that single instance, he was determining the fate of his younger sibling, whether the sole remaining Uchiha besides himself would live past this night.

'_I can't do it, forgive me Sasuke' _silently exhaling he took the final step forward, ensuring his presence was felt by his sole remaining kin.

Hesitantly turning round Sasuke gaped at the sight of Itachi smothered in the blood of his relatives. In the dimly light room he could barely make out Itachi's features yet the flash of the blade held in his hand was crystal clear. Not a single part of the ninjato was absent of blood, the weapon used to cut down their entire family.

"Why Nii-san? Why'd you do it!?" he bawled "Why'd you kill them?"

Using what training he had, he stood in a basic defensive stance, nothing that would hinder Itachi for even a few moments. His Nii-san was considered by many in the clan to be the most powerful Uchiha since Madara himself. None among the clan were considered equals in power nor ability.

"Why?" a mocking grin followed. "To test my power, they were all weak. Not fit to be Uchiha. I alone killed the entire clan."

In an instant his hand wrapped around Sasuke's throat and slammed him against the wall. Stars swam across his vision briefly before all he could see where the spinning tomoe of the Sharingan. Fear paralysed Sasuke, refusing him to make a single move as the cold red eyes stared deep into his own. Then something happened. The Sharingan changed, becoming something similar yet different. Sasuke had little time to examine it further before Itachi's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"You've always wanted to surpass me. That's why I'm going to let you live… if you wish to kill me, then hate me, despise me… and by all means flee, cling to your wretched life" Those words would haunt Sasuke for every day and night for years to come, changing his life forever.

What followed next was torture as he foundhimself back outside in the Uchiha district, watching as something cut down his kinsmen from the shadows. Witnessing only the briefest glimpses of Itachi as his emotionless voice surrounded him.

"I control time, space and mass, here I am god. For the next seventy two hours you will witness the slaughter of our clan, and you will learn hatred. When you have eyes like mine, come and seek me out." Were his final words. Sasuke could only do one thing, he screamed.

Dropping his brothers motionless body to the floor, Itachi felt fresh tears trailing down his cheeks. By doing this he had saved his brother, but in return earned his eternal hatred. One day in the coming years Itachi would die by Sasuke's hand and redeem the clan of their crimes. Until then Itachi would be considered a criminal of the very village he'd sworn to protect.

Looking down at his unconscious brother, he placed the ninjato back in it's sheath and vowed that at the soonest opportunity he'd destroy it. This would be the last time in perhaps years that he would see his little brother and the very final time that Sasuke would not look at him with hate filled eyes.

"I'm sorry Sasuke, forgive me." A final farewell.

Fleeing the Uchiha destrict with haste he had one final stop to make before leaving Konoha for good. Those who oversaw the politics of this village, those who dipped their hands into the darker affairs of of Konoha would need reminding that they were not to touch Sasuke lest they risk his wrath.

Despite being barely forteen years of age, he was considered on par with the sannin in skill and strength, there were few who could match him should the village earn his ire. With any luck that would keep the more obscure and self serving members of the council at bay. If all went as he intended Sasuke would be his legacy and the beginning of a new Uchiha clan.

In one of the seedier parts of Konaha, a young blonde haired boy stumbled through a filthridden alley, dressed in mere rags. What substituted as clothes hung from his malnourished starving frame. He could barely remember the last time he'd eaten a full meal and not the meagre scraps he'd been able to scrounge from the garbage of the residents.

His apartment provided to him by the village had been ransacked months ago, fortunately he hadn't been there at the time it occurred. It had been his sanctuary for nearly a year, it had protected him from the scathing glares of the villagers and their harsh words.

He could never understand what he'd done to deserve their glares and words, calling him all sorts of names he couldn't understand, but knew that they weren't kind words. Their angry and disgusted tones as they spoke told him all he needed to know. They were rarely violent though, and the rare ocassion that it happened, it always left him with a few new scars by the time one of the masked ninjas came to the rescue.

It had been this experiences that taught him that it was best to remain unnoticed, to stay away from crowded and bright areas. Hence he rarely ventured onto the main streets and instictively stuck to the shadows of alleyways and smaller less travelled roads that were abundent in Konoha. He'd been on his way to the one place that would serve him food, sometimes for free, but the pain in his stomach and the weakness in his limbs that had been growing day by day was finally taking its toll on his skinny frame.

For months now he'd been ingesting waste not fit for consumption and what food he did eat from the ramen stand wasn't enough to sustain someone for long. It was only thanks to the presence of Kyubi which he remained oblivious of that he'd lasted this long in the first place. What Naruto was experiencing was starvation, the latest method of the villagers in their attempt to rid themselves of the Jinchuriki.

Naruto only managed a few more steps before falling, his head colliding with the side of a stonewall as he fell, leaving a thin trail of blood to slowly make it's way down his forehead. Shifting so that his back lay against the stonewall, he stared at the street the the alleywar led to.

"Hello, is anyone here? Please help." A weak and hourse voice came from his throat. Despite it being late evening the streets were deserted, and there was no one around to answer his plea for help. He felt so weak, so hungry, why couldn't he be loved like the other orphans? What had he done that made him scorned by the adults, and ridiculed by other children?

'_It's not fair, what did I do to die like this? What gives them the right to hate me for all they've done. I did nothing to them and they treat me like a monster. They're the monsters! I'll show them one day_' These thoughts did little to comfort the young boy, nor did the rare kindness that few of Konoha took to the time to show him. In the distance seemingly watching over the entire of the village with vigilant eyes was the Hokage monument. Once upon a time Naruto had taken comfort at the sight of it. Now it was a reminder of how nearly the entirety of the village loathed his very presence.

"One day, I'll show you." Naruto whispered weakly before slipping into the painless embrace of unconsciousness.

Jumping swiftly and silently from rooftop to rooftop, Itachi silently pondered upon the brief discussion he held with the elders of the village, both Sarutobi Hiruzen the Hokage, Jiraiya the Sannin and Danzo, leader of Root had been present. While the discussion had been short, he doubted he would forget it for years to come. He had warned them that should they leave Sasuke alone, the truth of what occurred tonight would never be revealed and he would continue to protect Konoha from behind the scenes.

Surprisingly what had bothered him the most had been their final words as they parted ways. They had praised him for doing his duty, and despite his desire to protect Konoha those words had stung. Perhaps because it was the truth, killing his entire clan had been his duty. An obligation to ensure Konoha's future stability and survival.

While the Hokage only meant to reassure the young Anbu that he'd done the right thing tonight, it had stung. He'd done more than his duty he'd slain his own flesh and blood, his kin in the service of Konoha. With the truth of what the Uchiha Clan had been planning, he would forever be reviled as a butcher amongst those who remained unaware.

Sighing he knew that he had to leave quickly, the Hokage and his advisors could only delay his former comrades for so long. Anbu and Jounin alike would begin hunting for him soon, and Itachi had little idea on where to go from here. Jiraiya had mentioned a group of missing nin that were strangely interested in the Jinchuriki of the various villages. Investigating the motives of that unusual group would be a good place to start.

As he leapt effortlessly to the next rooftop along his path, a weak call for help nearby startled Itachi from his thoughts. Peering down to the streets he saw that they were empty, which would be unusual if it were one of the more busier districts like the Merchant Quarter or Residential. These were the slums where only the poorest of the village resided, and was often avoided by all others.

Spotting a speck of golden yellow amidst the dirt brown and grey surroundings, he shunshined to a closer rooftop. Peering down he saw that the speck of gold was none other than one of the village pariahs, this one being Naruto Uzumaki. While he wasn't actively abused or tormented, he was completely ignored and socially isolated.

Despite this Naruto was in terrible condition, what he wore passed for nothing more than rags and was very likely the skinniest child he'd ever witnessed. He was very likely little more than skin and bones at this point. Jumping down he silently landed next to the boy, he saw that Naruto was on the verge of unconsciousness.

"Naruto-kun, can you hear me?" he waited several seconds. There was no answer. Pressing his index finger against Naruto's jugular, he felt a faint pulse, he was weak and likely wouldn't live much longer without nourishment. This complicated things clearly.

With the actions taken tonight, there was nowhere he could take Naruto and escape Konoha in time before his fellow Anbu colleagues closed in to capture him. If that happened, he would be forced to either injure or kill those who had been his comrades in arms just earlier today. He couldn't very well leave Naruto here otherwise the Jinchuriki would die of malnourishment, and if he took Naruto he would well and truly be a traitor, not just officially.

"Why can nothing ever be simple." Itachi sighed before making his decision. Gathering Naruto into his arms he took to the rooftops once more, the extra weight he carried did nothing to slow him down. He knew there would be consequences for kidnapping Naruto, consequences he couldn't begin to imagine. What he did know though, was that he could no longer integrate himself as a spy amongst Ataksuki. What fate awaited him and Naruto was unclear. He would be hunted by Konoha and Ataksuki alike, but his conscience wouldn't allow him to stand by and do nothing as a boy no older than his brother died.

**AN:** This is my first Naruto story which I thought up a scenerio where Itachi found Naruto on the night of the massacre and consequences that would follow. Itachi won't joining Akatsuki, nor any other group or village. Itachi will remain a missing nin, on the run from hunter nin and his former comrades.

What I struggled with was the concept of how Itachi would find Naruto, there are plenty of stories where Naruto is physically abused by the villagers. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. With a protective Hokage with a loyal force of Anbu who are sworn to serve, I think the most the villagers could get away with his emotional abuse and neglect (with the rare exception of vandalism by one or two villagers). Such as ignoring him, shops refusing to sell him anything. So instead of outright trying to kill him, they are attempting to do it incorrectly by starving him.

Now if Itachi came across this in the state he was after the massacre, after killing his own family and the guilt he no doubt felt, I don't think he could stand by and let it happen. Let me know what you think with any constructive criticism.

On a final note. There will be timeskips, Naruto will become powerful enough to go toe to toe with the Sannin though not until after several years of training with Itachi's guidance. Naruto will be considered dark, the villages will consider him evil though Naruto believes he's doing the right thing, and what will he be doing, well…you'll see. At the moment there is no planned pairing and am unsure whether the person Naruto will become would be interested at all in romance.

Thanks for reading.


	2. Naruto Yomi Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

He'd made camp for the night at a secluded clearing in one of the many expansive forests that spanned the Land of Fire. Looking to his side he saw that Naruto still slumbered fitfully in the sleeping bag Itachi and wrapped him in. He'd made it more than thirty miles from Konoha in the span of an hour despite carrying the young boy who'd weighed next to nothing in his arms. Itachi wasn't one of the most psychically adept Shinobi strength wise, unlike Maito Guy, which meant that Naruto was grossly underweight for a boy his size.

Looking back at the broth he stirred over the campfire, the inviting smell gave him some comfort and would hopefully rouse Naruto soon. While he had a number of ration bars that the boy could eat, it was probably too soon for him to be ingesting solid food at the moment. Soup was a suitable alternative, and he'd fortunately packed all the necessary supplies.

Itachi honestly didn't think he could handle solid food either, his stomach still felt unsettled after the trying experience only hours ago. Killing nearly his entire clan and possibly traumatising his younger brother. It would be a long while before he could sleep without their faces staring accusingly at him.

A groan drew his attention from the bubbling pot of broth to the young boy who was now struggling to sit up in his sleeping bag. His weary eyes darted from one end of the clearing to another before panic soon began to creep in. No doubt Naruto was confused as to why he'd awoken in the middle of a forest when just earlier he'd been in Konoha.

"Be calm Naruto-kun, you are safe." Itachi spoke calmly as he poured the broth into a bowl, before placing it next to Naruto. "Eat, you must be hungry."

He eyed the bowl of soup wantonly before staring up at Itachi in confusion. His bright blue eyes clearly expressing his mood for all to see. How could one become a Shinobi with such honest eyes was beyond him. Like many in the village, he was aware of Naruto's desire to become a Ninja of the Leaf and right now that dream wasn't likely to ever happen.

"Where am I?" the young boy spoke quietly. "Who are you?"

"My name is Itachi Uchiha Naruto-kun. We are approximately thirty five miles from Konoha; we'll be resting here tonight." Itachi answered calmly as he poured himself a bowl of soup. Glancing over, he saw Naruto take a tentative sip of the soup he'd given him. A pleased expression followed as he began to take larger sips from the bowl. No doubt this was the first food he'd had in a while that he hadn't scrounged from rubbish.

Placing the half empty bowl on the floor Naruto looked at Itachi who slowly took sips from his own bowl of soup. A calm almost expressionless look was on his face. His dark eyes seemed to stare at nothing and everything at the same time.

"Why did you bring me here? I was in Konoha on my way to Ichiraku, but I felt weak…I fell, hit my head? I don't remember." What he remembered most clearly was the unending pain in his stomach, which was beginning to alleviate now that he'd eaten.

"I found you passed out. Naruto-kun you are severely malnourished and if I had left you there, you'd have likely died within a few days." Itachi spoke without hesitation and gazed at Naruto whose own expression was that of fear and sadness. "I apologize if what I said has upset you, and I couldn't very well leave you there like that."

"They always called me demon, always stared at me as if I were a monster. Why would they do that? Why did you help me?" Naruto asks, gazing right into Itachi's own dark eyes.

This was a crucial moment, Itachi knew this, but was the boy really ready to hear the truth that had been concealed from him. How would he react? While it had been for Naruto's own protection from forces outside the village walls, it did nothing to protect him from the scathing glares and harsh words from those within Konoha. Would his sadness for his life of isolation become hatred towards those that scorned him? Regardless, he deserved to know the truth of what the Yondaime sealed within him on the night of his birth.

"What I'm about reveal to you is considered an S-class secret punishable upon death if ever revealed." Itachi spoke, his tone calm yet severe. "Almost nine years ago on the night of October 10th, Konoha was attacked by the Kyubi No Kitsune. I remember the fear and hatred that hung in the very air that night, its' roars shook the very village. None could stand in its path, and every attack did little more than irritate the Kyubi. Until the Yondaime arrived, drawing its anger away from the village, a newborn child was with him that night, his child."

Itachi observed Naruto's reaction to the tale very carefully, the subtle tremble of his extremities, the ever so slow reaction to realisation in his eyes. Yet he waited for Itachi to finish his story to confirm what he was beginning to realise was the tale drew closer to its end.

"One moment, you could feel the hatred and malevolence of the Kyubi in the air, the next it was gone. Yondaime-sama had sealed the Kyubi into his own child at the cost of his own life, that child was you, Naruto-kun." Itachi waited as tears welled up in Naruto's eyes, his shoulders shook as sobs wracked his small frame.

"My parents…are dead?" his bright blue eyes looked into Itachi's own as a trail of tears leaked from his eyes. "They did this to me? Left me to be hated by everyone else?"

"Neither the Yondaime or your mother Kushina wanted this for you." Itachi answered. "They wanted you to be seen as a hero that saved Konoha from the terror of the Kyubi, unfortunately many were unable to see past their own grief and anger."

Naruto looked down at his hands, somewhere deep within him the monster that tried to destroy Konoha slumbered within him, sealed there by his own father, so that Konoha may live to see another day. He remembered his dream to become Hokage, looking back on it then, his cries that he would become Hokage and get their respect seemed ridiculous. Why become Hokage of a village that saw you as nothing more than a painful reminder at best, and the very demon that attacked their village at worst. His yearning to become Hokage was nothing more than another cry for attention in a world that did it's best to ignore him.

"What do I do now?" looking back at Itachi whom calmly regarded the question and meaning, knowing that the boy had no idea what to do or where to go. With the truth revealed it was highly unlikely that he wanted to return to Konoha, not that he would be able to anyway. He was barely nine years old and wouldn't make it back on his own, nor could he guide Naruto back. For now the two were stuck together, and Naruto would be dependent on him for guidance in a world he knew nothing of.

Right now they were vulnerable, and would continue to be so until Itachi managed to teach Naruto the skills to become a shinobi. They couldn't do it here in the middle of Fire Country, they needed somewhere isolated enough that they could go undiscovered for as long as they needed. He would soon become one of the most sought after missing nin in the elemental nations, they would need somewhere completely untouched by civilisation.

"For now we sleep, at sunrise we begin our journey," Itachi answers "Rest now, our journey will be a long one."

Naruto placed his empty bowl of soup on the ground, and climbed back into the sleeping bag as Itachi calmly finished his bowl of soup. Minutes later Naruto's breathing evened out, indicating his slumber. Itachi's eyes swept from Naruto, to the surrounding forest before they finally rested on the campfire. His hands clenched tightly as he remembered the screams of his family and he gazed deeper into the fire, trying to lose himself in it.

Back in Konoha, Sarutobi Hiruzen looked upon the bloodstained streets that were the result of his weakness. It had been partly his fault that the Uchiha plotted to rebel, maybe if he'd done something more this wouldn't have happened. Instead the clan had been reduced to two, and one of them would forever be regarded as a traitor of the worst kind, much like his former student Orochimaru.

His student had gone down a dark path once it was announced that Minato Namikaze would become Hokage and not he, whilst the Uchiha had been regarded with suspicion since the Kyubi attacked. Tales of the Sharingan being capable of controlling the Biju were well known within Konoha. As a measure Sarutobi had placed the Uchiha in charge of the police force, hoping that this would give the Uchiha a good reputation as peacekeepers.

Yet all it did was serve to further isolate them from Konoha socially and politically. It had been his mistakes that led to this, maybe he was becoming too old to keep leading the village. Unfortunately there were no other candidates for Hokage, there were some with the skill, but either lacked the political clout necessary or would refuse the position.

So here he stood doing what was necessary for Konoha's survival in the bloodstained district of what had once belonged to a prestigious clan, surrounded by his Anbu as they cleared the bodies. Anbu Captian Inu stood by his side, also known as Hatake Kakashi, former student of the Yondaime.

"Are there any survivors?" Hiruzen questions without turning his solemn gaze from the empty clan district.

"There are none Hokage-sama," Kakashi answers calmly despite knowing what happened here tonight, though the full story eluded him. "Only Sasuke survived, he is being taken to the hospital. He appears to be suffering from severe mental trauma."

Hiruzen nodded as he considered the secret discussion he and his advisors had held with the former Anbu Captain. Itachi had been adamant that they leave his little brother alone or suffer the consequences. Considering that he could easily reveal the truth of what happened tonight, they didn't dare test his resolve. Fortunately all evidence that had been found thus far indicated that Sasuke was innocent in their planned coup. Another thought occurred to him, something that he should of realised beforehand.

"What of the other children of the Uchiha Clan?" Sarutobi questions. "Surely Sasuke wasn't the only child to be spared by Itachi?"

"We were unable to find the bodies of any of the other Uchiha offspring Sandaime-sama. All the adults are accounted for, but we've been unable to find any of the children." Kakashi answers as he files through a list of the dead several pages long. A list comprised surprisingly of adults or young teenagers, but any children of the Uchiha were missing.

The old Sandaime knew that Itachi had strict orders to eradicate any involved with the Uchiha coup. Though Danzo and his other advisors had wanted the Uchiha clan to completely removed, Sarutobi had asked Itachi to spare any children unaware of what their parents had been involved in. This left several possibilities that may explain the disappearances of all the children.

Itachi may have disregarded his request and spared only Sasuke, though this did not account for their missing bodies. Could Itachi have spared the children and taken them with him, no impossible. Despite his skill he couldn't have slipped by border patrol with more than a dozen children to watch after. This meant Itach likely had nothing to do with their current whereabouts. This left the more worrisome possibilities.

Either someone else had been here when the massacre took place and had slain the ones Itachi spared, or someone had arrived before they had and abducted the survivors. If it was the latter Hiruzen had an inkling of who may be responsible, though he had no proof should he accuse the perpetrator.

"If you find anything, inform me immediately," Hiruzen says tiredly, suddenly feeling ten years older than his age. Tonight had been more than he'd feared and hoped that a successor was found soon. Unlike the Tsuchikage, he didn't want to wear the hat for the remainder of his years.

"Yes, Hokage-sama, we'll continue clean up and shall inform you immediately if something turns up." Hiruzen nods and disappears in a swirl of winds, leaving Kakashi and his fellow Anbu to continue their duties. '_Itachi, what could you have been thinking?_'

Sighing warily Kakashi knew that he wouldn't be forgetting what happened tonight, and come morning neither would the rest of Konoha. Itachi had been one of the best and a likely candidate to replace Sandaime-sama as Hokage. He'd been the only one with the skill, political backing and Will of Fire that Sarutobi Hiruzen firmly believed in. At only thirteen years old he'd been Anbu Captain, an achievement comparable only to his own ascension through the Shinobi ranks.

Yet all this happened, with no indication that anything was disturbing the young prodigy, this happened. In a single night, he slew nearly the entirety of his own clan, a feat thought impossible for a single person. His fellow Anbu Captain had been far more skilled than even he realised. Without a doubt, Itachi's skills were superior than even his own.

Looking down at the list of the deceased, Kakashi was surprised at his own lack of remorse for the deceased. They'd been loyal Konoha shinobi and citizens, much like himself. Perhaps he'd grown numb to all the death during the third shinobi war. '_Or maybe it's a sign I've been Anbu too long, maybe I should try being a Jounin-sensei. Surely that won't be as troublesome._'

As the sun began to rise above the tree lining surrounding the clearing, Itachi began to clear up the campsite. He was methodical in his work, ensuring there would be nothing left for any possible trackers to find. Naruto was lethargically rubbing the sleep from his eyes, as Itachi had only shaken him awake a couple of minutes ago.

As his vision gradually cleared, he began to make out more detail. Such as that he wasn't in Konoha, which meant that last night hadn't been a dream induced by spoiled food. Someone had found him, taken him from the village and offered him food and care. There was no sign at all that there had ever been a campfire just last night. No blackened and burnt soil, nor the lingering smell of smoke in the air. Finishing his work on the clearing, Itachi strolled over to the young Naruto and handed him an apple.

"Here, some breakfast." He handed the bright red fruit over to the child, noting how reverently he held the apple before taking as a big a bite out of it as he could manage.

"What about you?" Naruto mumbled whilst still chewing bits of apple, the sight brought a smirk to Itachi's face.

"I'll be fine, I had one earlier myself before I woke you." Itachi answers with a small smile, Naruto's concern was touching, but unnecessary. They had a long journey ahead of them, which would likely take more than a few days to reach their destination, even at his best pace it would take under a week. With Naruto it might take a full week to arrive, since he would need more time to rest than Itachi.

He would need a good night's sleep himself, he'd been unable to do so last night. Whenever he closed his eyes, he saw the faces of his family staring at him. Though he didn't want to, he had some medicines sealed away that would induce sleep. He preferred not to use them, since they always left him feeling sluggish upon awakening. If what happened last night happened again he would have no choice, lack of sleep was deadly for a Shinobi.

Glancing down he saw that Naruto had ravenously finished the apple and held out the core for Itachi. Taking the remainder of the apple from Naruto, he threw it into the air.

"Great Fireball no Jutsu." Itachi opened his mouth and launched a great ball of fire that incinerated the fruit. Turning back to Naruto, he saw the boy gaping in awe at him. He'd forgotten a child's fascination with the ninja arts, especially at his age.

"Awesome! Can you teach me to do that!" Naruto almost bounced in excitement.

"Yes, in time. Now it is time we departed," getting down to his knees he motioned for Naruto to climb on his back. "We have a long journey, it will be quicker this way."

Nodding, Naruto stepped behind Itachi, grasping his shoulders before Itachi hooked his arms below Naruto's knees and effortlessly hoisted him onto his back. Taking a single breathe Itachi soundlessly leapt into the air, landing on a nearby tree branch. Once they stopped travelling for the day and setup camp, this would have to be the first thing to teach Naruto.

If Naruto learnt to access his chakra and tree climbing before the end of their journey, it would allow Itachi to work on Naruto's stamina as they travelled during the day. Training him would come later though, first he needed to put as much distance between themselves and Konoha as possible before making camp for the day.

Things would be difficult, even more so with Naruto with him. He wasn't sure how long it would take for them to realise Naruto was missing, but it wouldn't be too long for certain. Plus there were any number of rogue Shinobi that might make an attempt on them during their travels.

The young boy needed to know how to defend himself, and Itachi had no illusions that he could protect Naruto from every threat out there. It would be best that he learn as much as Itachi could teach him to ascertain his safety. It would take time, but Naruto would become a force to be reckoned with and where they were going, they would have all the time they'd need.

"Hey what's your name?" Naruto asks as he tries to make sense of all the green and brown blurs as they sped along.

"Itachi, Uchiha Itachi," he answers without turning his eyes to Naruto, never taking his attention away from what was in front of them. "And from now on I'll be your sensei, I'll train you the best I can to be a powerful Shinobi."

**AN:** And there we have chapter two, which shows the beginnings of a friendship between Naruto and Itachi, as well as hinting at some of the inner workings of Konoha. As for the part about the other children of the Uchiha Clan, it struck me as odd that Sasuke would be the only survivor. I doubt that Sarutobi Hiruzen would actually order the deaths of innocent children, despite the crimes of their parents.

Now Danzo on the other hand that's another matter entirely. For now I'll let you wonder what happened to the other children, the next chapter should be out in about a week. Let me know what you think of the chapter or any constructive criticism you may have.


End file.
